May 2025
On Sunday, April 27, 2025, Zion Lutheran Church in Chebanse, Illinois formally dedicated a space in their building as a new community library.
Located in the far south of the LCMS Northern Illinois District, the elementary school at Zion, Chebanse closed in
2014. Since then, the congregation has continued to maintain their own standalone preschool, and additionally, part of their building has been used by an outside daycare.
The idea for the Zion Lutheran Community Library (ZLCL) first came about during some cleaning. The former grade school library had been out of sight and out of mind for quite some time, gathering dust, with a treasure trove of books stored away and nearly forgotten. The questions became, “How could those volumes be used in a new way, with a new purpose?”
Rev. Ben Hayter and his wife, Beth, brainstormed about the project for months before beginning the project in earnest. They applied for an ONM National Development Grant in July 2024 and received some funds in the fall. In January 2025, they formed a full committee to begin working on the new library project. Additionally, the committee applied for, and received, a Partnership Grant from the LCMS Northern Illinois District.
The process then continued with renovating the room which will now be used as the library space. Books were catalogued and moved, and future library programs were planned. The bulk of the project was completed in early May, although there will certainly be things added to and improved upon as time goes along.
When asked “the why” of this project, Pastor Hayter shared, “Chebanse has no public library. Currently, our biggest service to the community is to offer a story hour on the 2nd and 4th Saturdays of the month at 9:00 a.m. In that program, children will hear a few books read, learn about a Bible verse that ties into the theme for the day, pray, and close with a craft/activity.”
He also said, “The mission of ZLCL is to serve the community by providing a trustworthy, safe environment for children to enjoy reading and find good books; to provide a story hour that glorifies virtue and connects it to the Christian faith; and to familiarize community members with our church and make connections to draw people into the communion of saints at Zion Lutheran Church.”
The library has over 2,000 books, mostly geared toward children, with sections for picture books, chapter books, nonfiction, and biographies. Pastor Hayter shared that they also hope to expand to include a section for classic and theological books.
On April 27, 2025, Rev. Cory Estby, who serves as NID Vice-President for the South Region, was invited to preach at the morning’s Diving Service, as well as to participate in the dedication service held afterward. The congregation packed into the new library space to participate in the blessing of the room and its crucifix with Scripture and prayer.
Karen Rahn, one of the members of the library committee, then read the inaugural story, “Jesus and the Little Children,” from The Story Bible (CPH) to the children gathered around. A time of fellowship with coffee and donuts followed.
The “grand opening” to the community of the ZLCL was held on May 10, 2025. It was the kickoff to the new bimonthly story hour. Karen shared, “Our opening day had a very good response. There were 14 children present who heard four stories on the blessings of mothers. Parents were impressed with room construction, layout and details.” Parents were also informed that library volunteers must undergo background checks and that hopefully, as they return regularly, they will see familiar faces!
The project was well advertised and has been well received by the community. Flyers were able to be distributed to
each student in the local public elementary school, and they were even able to arrange to have a flyer included as an attachment to each Chebanse resident’s water bill (as Pastor Hayter put it, “Small town perks!”). Many families got a sneak peak of the new library at the annual preschool benefit vendor fair this spring. Several former Zion students were there with their own children and were able to fondly recollect checking out several of these same books as children themselves. One woman from the community, Rhianna Hodgin, who is also an alumnus of Zion’s elementary school, painted a 4X8 foot canvas of the Shepherd of Tender Youth for the library.
Although the completion of the final project and ongoing staffing and maintenance of the library are all certainly a group effort, Karen shared that the library idea was Pastor and Beth Hayter’s brain child. She commented, “They both put their love of Christ, children, and literature into ZLCL. Their dedication and ability to implement tasks while maintaining. positive spin on some issues/concerns made serving a joyful experience. I look forward to many positive experiences with our community growing in Christ.”
We celebrate with Zion on the opening of the new Zion Lutheran Community Library! May Chebanse and the surrounding area be blessed by this resource!
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WITNESS: Encouraging personal witnessing, congregational engagement with their community, support of our NID partnerships and missions, and sharing in a world mission field together.